Colbie Caillat Tells Us How She Went From The Beach To Overcoming Her Stage Fright

Musicians are undoubtedly influenced by the music they listen to. And an artist's musical selection at any given moment can sometimes even foretell what a next album might sound like. So if you've ever wondered what the artists who grace your stereo are getting funky to, here's your chance to find out. Every week, I'll ask traveling musicians as well as locals the fated question: What's playing in your CD player or tape deck right now?

Colbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat will be the first person to tell you how lucky she is. Just a few years back, the beach bum from California enjoyed writing songs and recording them in-studio as a hobby. But she never dreamed they would grow a Myspace fan base so large that a record label would be calling her up.

And yet that's what happened.

At the age of 21, Caillat released her first record, Coco, and subsequently went on tour with The Goo Goo Dolls. It was her first tour ever, taking her from city to city and playing for crowds of anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 attendees. Before that she'd only played about five acoustic shows in Malibu, so it was quite a change of pace.

Several tours and a Grammy on the shelf later, she just dropped her third studio album, All of You, which has once again sent her on tour, this time for another eight weeks.

Last week, that tour brought Caillat through Dallas for a stop at the House of Blues. Before the show, we caught up with her to find out what she's jamming of late.

"Andy is opening up for me on most of the tour. Not Dallas, but I just love his whole record. Growing up in Southern California and listening to reggae and classic rock really gave me that laid back acoustic vibe in my music. Lauryn Hill and Adele and all those artists really develop the soulful side of my music."

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Little known fact: Colbie is a really shy performer, but has gotten better in recent years

"I've changed a lot as a performer, 'cause I was really shy and got a lot of stage fright at the beginning. Now I've learned how to interact with the crowd more and have fun with the shows. I have a lighting guy now; it makes the vibe better on stage. And I wanted to have cool stage décor -- to look like someone's in their backyard. We do that with cute lanterns and twinkle lights. When I started playing music, it was more out at the beach with some friends and some guitars. But the comfortable atmosphere brings me back there."

Where the two roads meet: a break from touring to relax and see family

"This record just came out, and while I love writing -- I'm always writing -- [there will be] no record for another couple years. After this record, I definitely want to take some time off and enjoy life and not have the back and forth [lifestyle] because it can be a little exhausting. I want to spend more time with my family at home and travel and see places for real."

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